# fain

> English word · Adjective · IPA /feɪn/ · frequency rank #50,503

## Definitions
1. Often followed by of: glad, well-pleased.
2. Often followed by of: glad, well-pleased.
3. Often followed by of: glad, well-pleased.
4. Chiefly followed by to, or (obsolete) for or of: eager or willing, or inclined.
5. Favourable, well-disposed.
6. Accustomed, apt, wont.

## Etymology
From Middle English fain (“enjoyable, pleasing; fond of; glad, pleased; good, suitable; happy, joyful”), from Old English fægen (“happy, joyful, fain”), from Proto-West Germanic *fagan (“glad”), from Proto-Germanic *faganaz (“glad”), from Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- (“joyful; pretty”).
Cognates
* Old Norse fagna (“to rejoice”), feginn (“glad, joyful”)
* Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌲𐌹𐌽𐍉𐌽 (faginōn, “to rejoice”)
* Old High German fehan, gifehan (“to rejoice”)
* Old Saxon fagan, fagin

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/fain